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1 mimwttT.T. agTTmxL, bakwwbll, south Carolina when ne s iuu» h«Hj comfortably 4 * home.”, , ‘Tiu n’*it*' til tljfolfirk." []■•;/ \ con Jessed. *i’.rn seenied a trifle p.,r r 0U •'bout snin.ijiu -. Ili- didn't say w ha it, WUS Utiout.” n -- •^nfflT I * - • * X P •’ in?” Xir. Brooks sug 'Tnu-d ’understand—and yon 3 aide to help. I don't as a rule i!1 bringing business Into the home, hut this bothers me. I hate to ow Lydia EL Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound By BERTRAND W. SINCLAIR see a pood thing go wrong."' “Explain, by all means," Hazel promptly replied, “If I can help, I’ll lie glad to." ^ ’T hank you." Mr. Brooks polished his glasses industriously for a second and replaced them with palastaklhg exactitude. “Now—ah—this Is the sit uation: When • the r company^ was formed, live of us. including,your hus- bund. took up enough Min k to finance tlie preliminary work of the undertak ing. The remaining stock, seventy-five thousand dollars in amount, wus I in the treasury, to be held or put on the market as the situation warranted. With the Hi st, clean-up, Rill forward ed—tHeta* and lignres -trrshow TtlaT'we had a property far beyond our great est expectations. And, of course, we saw at onca-thnt the tlrinffwas ridicu lously undercapitalized. —— “So we held a^tneetlng and authort ized the, secretary to sell stock. Nat urally, your husband wasn’t cognizant of this move., for the simple reason that there was no way of reaching him—and his interests were thorough ly protected, anyway. The stock was I* Prepared For Woman’s Use. (Copyright: Little. Brown A Co.) role Brooks and I*aui Lofimer and oth ers of that group, there was no telling .what might happen! His’ interests might become permanently identified with Granville. Bill informed her from time to time ns to the progress of hisjventure. The company w toy duly Incorporated, with an authorized capital of one hundred thousand dollars, five thousand dollars’ worth of stock being-taken out by. each on a cash basis—-the remaining sev enty-five thousand lying i** the rrrm- pany treasury, to he held or sold for development purposes as the five saw fit when work began to show” wEaT the claims were capable of producing. In early March came a telegram from Whitey Lewis saying that he had staked the claims, both placer and lode;.that he was hound out by the Telegraph Tf*ail to file at Uazeltqn. Rill showed her the message 1 —wired from Station Six. “I wish I could have been in on jt— that was some trip," he said—and there was a trace of discontent in' his tone. ‘T don’t fancy somebody else pawing my chestnuts out of the coab< for me. It was sure a man’s jojvfo cross the Klffppun In the : dead of win ter.” • The filing completed, there was am ple work in the way of getting n*yt and whipsawing timber to keep the five men-husv till spring—the five who were on the ground. Lewis sent word that thirty feet of tyiow lay in the gold-hearing branch. And that was ihe last they heard from him. He was a performer, Bill said, not a cor respondent. So in Granville the affairs of the Free Gold Mining company remained at n standstill until the spying floods should peel off the winter blanket of the North. Ultimately, spring overspread the eastern provinces. And when the snows of winter successively gave way to niuddy < street's and then to clean pavements In the cltv of Granville, n* new gilt sign was-lettered across the windows of the brokerage office in which Paul Lorimer was housed. particular keenness. And if be Were a trifle sober he showed no sign of resentment, nor uttered any futile wishes that she could accompany him. ."{So long'," he said from tlie : cur ^tepvy “Ttt icppp fn::inniTP-an I cun."’ Tiled he was gone. Somehow, his absence made less dif ference than Hazel had anticipated. She had secretjy expected to be very lonely at first. And she w as not. Even when in her hand she, held a telegram dated.pt a pointl live- hundred or a thousand miles or double that distance away she did not experience the feel ing of complete bodily absence. She always felt as if lie were near. *()uly at night, when there was no long arm to pillow her head, no good-night kiss as she dozed into slumber, sin* missed him, realized ,tliat he was far away. Early in June came u brief wire from Station Six. Three weeks luter the Free Golif Mining company set up a mild tipple of excitement along. Broad, street by exhibiting Tn their office w indow a forty-pouted heap of coarse gold; raw, yellow cold. iustJix. it had come from the sluice. Every day knots -of men shHKl gazing- at the treasure. Bill had forwarded the first clean-up. And close on’the heels of this—ten days later; to he exact—he caiue home. “You great hear,” Hazel;laughed, in the shelter of his encircling arms. “My, it’s good to see you again,” She pushed herself back, a little and surveyed him admiringly, with a grati fied sense - of proprietorship. - 'The cheeks of him were tanned to a healthy brown, his eyes clear ami ^billing. The offending flesh hud fallen Uway on the strenuous paths of the Kiuppan. He radiated boundless vitality, strength,* alertness, that perfect co-ordination of mind and body that is,^red of faring resourcefully along rude ways. She thrilled at the touch of his hand, was content to fliy her head oil his shoul der and forget everything in the Joy of fiis physical nearness. They elected to spend the evening quietly at home, as they used to do. To Hazel It seemed quite like old times. Bill told her of the Kluppan country, and their prospects at the mine. "It's going to be a mighty big thing," he declared. "I’m so glad." said Hriztfl. “We’yjy _got n group of ten claims. Whitey Lewis and the original stakprs hold jiu interest in their claims. I, acting as agent for these other fel lows in the company, staked five mure. I took in eight more men—and, be lieve me, things-were humming when 1 left. And, say, I went in by the ranch. Old Jake has a fine garden. He.’5? still pegging away with the mule ‘und Gretchen, der cow.’ I offered him a chance to make a fat little stake ut tlie mine, but he didn’t want to leave the' ranch. Great old feller, Jake. Something of a philosopher inliis way. Uretty wise old head. lie'll make CHAPTER XIV—Continued. —13— "-"V • ' ■ . ...' ,{•«•-'tV ; • * :> ■ “If mon^y .meant that we would be impelled to lead the sort of exist ence most of these people do,” he re- A visit to the lftboratoty where thb successful remedy is made impresses even the casual looker-on with the rett- ability, accuracy, skill and cleanlineea which attends the making pf this gnat medicine for woman’a ills. Over 350,000 pounds of various herbs are used anuafly urf all have to be left gathered at the season of the year when their natural juices and medicinal sub stances are at their best The most.successful solvents are used to extract the medicinal properties from h*rbv , : Every utensil and tank that comet In contact with the medicine is sterilized end as a final precaution in cleanlinees the medicine is pasteurized and sealed in sterile bottles. ‘ It is the wonderful combination of roots and herbs, together with the skill and care used in its preparation which has made this famous medicine so successful in the treatment of female -ills. The letters from women who have been restored to health by the use of Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Com pound which we are continually pdb- lishing attest to its virtue. “You don’t need to lojok so horri fied,’.’ he drawled. - “I’m going straight to bed, little person. Scold not, nor fret; William will be himsOlf-iiga in ere yet the morrow’s sun shall clear the horizon. Let us avoid recrimina tion. Good (night." A week or so later he became sud denly and unexpectedly active. He left the house as soon as his break fast was eaten, nrfu^he did not come home to luncheon—a circumstance' which Irritated Hazel, since It was one xif those Tare days when she herself lunched at home. Late in the after noon he telephoned .-.briefly" that-he' would dine downtown. And whed he did return, at nine or thereabouts in the evening, he clamped a cigar be- Gvcen^his Teeth, and fell to work cov ering n sheet of paper With intermin able rows of figures. “What Is all' the 'clerical work about?” she inquired. "Reckoning your assets and liabilities?” Bill smiled and pushed aside the paper. • "I'm going to promote n mining com pany." he toll] her, quite casually. "It lias been put up to me as a business proposition—and I've got to the stage where I have to do something, or I’ll sure have the Willies." She overlooked the latter statement; it conveyed no special significance at tin* time. But his first statement opened up possibilities such as of late khe had sincerely hoped would come to pass.-amt she was all interest. "Promote q mining company?" she repeated. “That sounds extremely businesslike. 1 low—-when—where?” I’d take measures to be broke torted as soon as possible." ' . 7^ "You’re awful!’’ Hazel commented. - Rill snorted again. “Tomorrow, you. advise our hostess \ hat we’re traveling.’.!.-he Instructed. ’When we come hack we’ll make head quarters at a hotel until we locate a place oT our own—if you nr ensure, you want to winter here.” Her mind was quite made up to spend the winter there, and she frnnk- \y said so—provided he hn'd no other choice. They had' to winter some where. “Oh. yes, I suppose so. All right; .we’ll "winter...here,” Bill, acquiesced. ‘That’s settled.” And. as wns his habit when he had come to a similar conclusion, he re fused to talk further on that subject, 'hut fell to speculating idly on New York. In which he was presently aided and abetted by Ila'zol. who had Yiever Invaded Manhattan, nor. for that natter, any of the hlg Atlantic cities. DAISY FLY KILLER ■nrwtw attracts ana Kills yJhRaI ckup ****■*- of tr ‘* u: , *v nI If rtVTkri'/'fff wTwFtn or “p OT * r ■ * r " 1 ul «a K Itf-gya or Injur* *r. yU.lng 0«*»- *! iwi *ff«-tir, toid ty <■* * ••*>* •» pr*** for tl.OK ■MOLD tOMlM. 114 DC KA1S AVL. KSOOKLYM, H. V. England now has more than 4,775* 0 women wage-earners. The occasional u»* of Roman Eya Balaam at nlicht upon rctlrlnc will prevent and re lieve tired, watery eyes, and eye strain. A4r. Heaven helps those who pretend they are happier .than they are. \ —.'V.yl ,7 Cuticura Complexion*. ' tv / Nothing better than Cuticura Soap ) rl ™ 1^ /r/ Ml\ daily and Ointnient as needed to maka li' I )i\ \\$ 11)6 complexion clear, scalp clean and bands soft and white. For free Ram- “Very Able Man, Your Husband, But pies address “Cuticura, Dept. X, Bon- Headstrong as the Deuce.” listed on Change. A good bit was dis posed of privately. We now have a large fund In the treasury. It’s a cinch. We’ve got the property, and It’s rich enough to. pay dividends on a million. The decision of the stock holders in unanimously for enlarge ment of the onpitnhstock. You under stand? You follow me?" / '-"Certainlyp, Hazel answered. "But A Paper Controller. Great Britain now has its Paper Controller, concerning whose identity there has been a flutter of excitement In the publishing and newspaper worlds. There Is, however, very much less talk und less fuss about the ad vent of this new official than there waa jyer the subject of the Introduction of food rationing, although the Inno vation Is capable of having mnch greater effects on the life of the conn- FREE GOLD MINING COMPANY P. H. Lorimer, P. J L. Broofcs, Sec.-Treaa William WagstAff,'Manager So It ran. Bill was commissioned in the army of business at lust. CHAPTER XV A Business Journey. “I have to go to the Klappan apprised Ills wife one evening. ‘ reduction of the try than the mere consumption of certain food suppllea. II. A. Vernet, on jivhom it has de volved, Is a director of the Under ground Electric ltuilways company. to come along? “But —her knowledge of business methods suggested a difficulty—^"you can’t sell,stock in a business that has no real- foundation—yet. Don't you have to locate thost) claims first?" "Wise old head ; you have the idea, all right.” He smiled. “But this is not a stock-jobbing proposition. I wouldn’t be- in on it if it were, believe me. It’s to he a corporation, where not to exceed six men will own all the stock that’s issued. Anil so _fqr \is the claims are concerned, I’ve- got Whitey Lewis located in Fort George, and I’ve been burning the wires and spending a bundle of real money get ting him grub staked. He has got four men besides himself all reipfy to hit the trail as soon as I give the word.” "You won’t have to go?” she put in quickly. “No,” he murmured. “It Isn’t neces sary, at this particular stage of the game. But I .wouldn’t mind popping a ^whip over a good string of dogs, just tlie same.” 7 ' “B-r-r-r!” she shivered involuntar ily. "Four huudred miles across that deep snow, through that steady-, flesh- Hazel hesitated. Her first instinc tive feeling- \yas one of reluctance to retrace the nerve-trying trail. But neither did she wish to he separated from him, “I see you don’t,”' he observed dry" ly. “Well, lNcuu’t say that I blame you. It's a stiff trip.” “I'm sorry I can’t feel any enthusi asm for such a Journey.” she remarked candidly. “I could go us fur as the coast with you, and inOet you there when you coiiu^o'ut. How-Tong do you expect to be- in there?” N "I don’t-know exactly,” he T^pHed. '“I'm not going in from’ the -Coast, though. I’m taking the Asheroft-Fort George Trail., rhhve to take in a puck train and more men and get work started on a decent scale." ~ • "But you won’t have to stay there all summer and oversee theS\ork, will you?" she inquired auxiojisly^ - “I should,” he su-id. . . For u second or two he drummed on the table top. “But Is there any real necessity for' *you to stay bn the ground?” She pur sued her own line of thought. “1 should think an undertaking of this size would justify hiring au expert to take charge pf the actual mining oper ations. Won’t you have this end of it to look after?” “Lorimer and Brooks are eminently capable of upholding the dignity, and importance of that sign they’ve got smeared across the windows down-, town,” he observed curtly. "The chief labor of the office they’ve set Up will be to divide the proceeds. The work will be done/und, the money made in tlie Klapphn Range.. You sabe that, donX yytf?” ‘ f\'\/not stupid,” she-pottied. /Tin going-tomorrow,” he said. “I think, <>n the whole, It’ll be just as /well if you don’t go. Stay here and «v.joy yourself. I’ll transfer ' some more nionjey to your account. I think I’ll drop down to.the club.” She followed him out into the hall, and, as he wriggled into his coat, she hud an impulse to throw her arms around his neck and declare, in all sincerity, that she would go to the Rluppan or to the north pofe or any place on earth with him. if he wanted her. But by Rome peculiar femluiue reasoning she reflected in the same in stant that if Bill were awaj* from her in a few weeks he would he all the more glad to get back. That closed her mouth. It was not wise to he too meek or obedient where u husband have gotten, as they had planned to get when they were struggling through that interminable winter. She was. But not Bill. If she ventured to give a tea, he tied the house as if from the plague. He.made acquaintances of his own. men front God only knew where. Individuals who occasionally filled the dainty apartment with malodorous to bacco fuhle.s. ;rtnl who would cheer fully sit up all night discoursing ear nestly on any subject under the sun. But -so long as Bill found Granville habitable she did not. mind. 7'—' She wished fervently that Bill would take up soiueJnisiness that would keep materlul for concentrating mirrors for nrnpanv the biggest- w ,,, , . . : * 1 „ vw-rays. Glass will not* do, because, 1 smooth as It Is, It Is too rough for the , , , . extremely minute X-rays, which are hands In a gesture of aiur h smallor than light waves. Glass . , • „ . ,. „ . diffuses the X-rays, much as a rough ellow he said, and Kur f ucp diffuses light waves, but it was i n m s. u e s ® found that the surface of mineral cry* . husln,*. with. He , ■ siikiotimes* ullar view of the mat- , _ „ . ... he'll queer the com- °* jefleetin* Vra, s und of them mtc. up trouble over this. , mos ' »4»pt«l)le. being readlljr ,oL.',i „eo .rl,,..,,..,,* split Into sheets. In the morning. Bill ate his break fast and started downtown. r -“That’s tlie dickens of being a busi ness man,'’ he complained to Hazel, in the hallway. “It rides a man. once it gets held of him. Adios; little per son. I’ll get out for lunch, business or no business." Eleven-thirty brought him home, preoccupied ami frowning. And he carried his frown and :.is preoccupa tion to,the table. * . “Whatever is the matter, Bill?" Ha zel anxiously inquired. “Oh. I’ve got u nasty hunch that there’s a nigger in tlie woodpile,” he replied.. " / And that was all he youchsafed He finished his luncheon and left the house. He was scarcely out of sight The Gulf Stream. The gulf stream is more rapid than the Amazon, more impetuous than tha Mississippi; and its volume more than 1.000 fime ( s grytiter. itllllftllUin. Instant Postun when Jimmie Brooks’ runabout drew up at the curb. A half minute later he was ushered into the living room. “Bill in?" was Ills* first query. “No, he left Just a few minutes' ago," Hazel told him. Mr. Brooks, a short; heavy-set, neat ly dressed gentleman, whose rather weak blue eyes loomed preternaturally large and protuberant, behind pince- nez that straddled an insignificant snub 'Hose, took off Ids glasses and twiddled theni in his white, well-kept fingers. “Afi> too had!” he murmured. “Thought I’d ca h him. “By the way," he continued, after a pause, “you—-ah—well, frankly, I have reason to believe that you have a good deal of influence with your hus band in business matters, Mrs. Wag- stuff.” ’"Well, I don’t know 5 perhaps 1 have. Why?" “Well—ah—you see,” lie beg in Yath- Better Off if you drink What's Ail the Clerical Work About?' 1 She Inquired. him In touch.with civilization. He had the capital, she eonsidemtrand there wns no question of his ability. Her faith in his power to encoihpass Vhnt- e,Y£r-he- set about was| strong. Other men, less gifted, had acquired wealth, power, even a measure of 'fame, 1 from a less auspicious hegtnHipg. Why not the company a fund to operate successfully. "If Bill mentions'It. ^ou might sug gest that he look into, the matter a lUt.le more folly -before he takes any .definite action.” Brooks concluded; ris ing. "I must get down to the office. It’s his own Interests I’m thinking of. ns much. as my own. Of course, he couldn’t block a reorganization—hut we want to satisfy him in every par- thqilnf,.7ind, at the same time, carry out Tfiese.plans. It’s a big thing for all of us.^-Aliig thing. I assure you.” ftB CONTINUED f But she could never quite bring her self to put It in so many words to Bill er lamely. “The fact is—I hope youTt regard this ns strictly confidential. Mrs. Wngstnff. I wouldn't' want $M to think I, or any of u**, was trying to bring pressure on- him. But the fact is, . Bill’s got a* mistaken impression delicious and bout the way we’re lomlucysg the nuncial end of this mining proposi- lon. Y’ou understand? Very able inn, your Jiu si .and, fait hefinstTong as In* ileuce. Pin afraid— t<> ^frrik fronk- f—h**’ll .c**o:.*« Tot of . v ess. Might disrupt The roini : nv. ill net, if he stieks to rh imk this mornin nd talk it ,JRY IT POR EVERY GOOD REASON I* -lum he :ht I'd fun 7n Ith h;iu. I ’< IU»w’* 4iunn>l\ jou kaow c She was correspond! rtgly -d mil todk no pains to hide her